A full appreciation of Burchett's activities would require photographs of North Korean prisoner-of-war camps where, according to the Commonwealth and US prisoners there (and naturally denied by Burchett), he assisted the North Koreans and Chinese in drafting and editing false confessions for the prisoners to sign. One British prisoner, subsequently awarded the George Cross for valour, was tortured by the Chinese for three days for ''offending Comrade Burchett''.

Put in contemporary context: would we be celebrating, 60 years on, any Australian who might for example assist the Taliban in preparing video ''confessions'' of any Western serviceman unfortunate enough to fall into their clutches?

There were three European communists sent to cover aspects of the Korean War from the perspective of the North: Winnington, Burchett and Meray. Only Tibor Meray saw through and ultimately rejected communism. Meray, the most junior of the three was awarded a medal for his services by Kim Il-sung himself. If the most junior was so recognised it is unthinkable that Burchett, as the leader of the group, would not have been as well.

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You can tell a lot about a man by the company he keeps.

Bruce Watson Mosman

A remedy that needs debate, not bombast

I'm a public hospital psychiatrist who greatly admires Ian Hickie for his tireless efforts in mental health research and advocacy. However, I thought his intemperate spray at opponents of his preferred set of policy and treatment prescriptions - in particular the controversial early intervention model he and Pat McGorry have championed - demeaned his position and the serious debates in question (''Ignore the critics, public need to back fresh start in mental healthcare'', September 23).

I recently attended an international conference where McGorry and other advocates of early intervention spoke, and what came through was how little evidence there was for the headspace model that our government has adopted so enthusiastically. There is also very little evidence for the use of medications in patients thought to be at risk of psychosis.

Professor Hickie uses an old debating trick, rolling a disparate group of critics into one list without seriously addressing any of their concerns. By mentioning Scientologists alongside professional detractors, in one of his four main points, he seems to want to deflect public attention from debates within psychiatry rather than illuminating them.

Professor Hickie is dead right that psychiatrists should devote their time to debating public policy and arguing for social change. But that also means engaging in explanation rather than bombast when criticised. The public (and his colleagues) will thank him for the former and not the latter.

Dr Tad Tietze Potts Point

I agree, in part, with Ian Hickie. We do need a new view of mental healthcare but it needs to be one where the stranglehold of the medical profession does not rule the funding dollar.

Many doctors have little interest, skill or knowledge in mental health issues but continue to be the ones who assess and treat.

Dedicated mental health professionals such as mental health nurses, social workers and psychologists are rarely directly referred to and then only when the treating doctor does not know what to do.

This late treatment therefore becomes protracted and often difficult. It is the same sad old story: the medical profession will not allow true collaboration in patient care; prime examples being the midwives and nurse practitioner debacle.

Until Professor Hickie and his colleagues do truly collaborate he will be writing the same thing for a long time to come.

Stephen Carroll Orange

Ian Hickie says that ''current arrangements result in twice as many psychological treatments being provided to those of higher incomes'' as justification for reducing the services offered by psychologists to all their patients.

How does this make rational sense? Do we use the financial situation of people receiving other medical procedures as a foundation to reduce their availability?

Lynda Parry Bowral

Professor Ian Hickie's arguments rest on assumptions about mental health which are debatable.

Our mental health services are primarily designed to diagnose and treat mental illnesses. Is suicide an indication of a mental illness? The Australian suicide success story of the past 50 years has been the halving of female deaths.

The major factors in this triumph have been the removal of barbiturate medications,the cessation of the use of coal gas (contains carbon-monoxide), the legalisation of abortion, the destigmatisation of single motherhood, provision of supporting parent benefits, and the creation of domestic violence and sexual assault services for women.

These are not mental illness interventions.

The overrepresentation of the mentally ill in suicide data, it can be argued, stems from inappropriate medication, absent or uncaring case management and the lack of longer-term psychiatric beds in leafy asylums, not concrete dog boxes.

For some years I was hired to counsel some of Victoria's most distressed teenagers. All were wards of the state. All had been referred to and ultimately refused to see mental illness professionals.

What these children needed was a skilled counsellor who was contactable, on their side and could help them to be safe.

Andrew Humphreys Narrawallee

Others want Rudd but the sensible option is Cameron

Why do I get the impression talk of Labor leadership problems is not being generated within the party but by those who have a vested interest in having a ''more'' conservative government installed (''Rudd 'nine votes' from PM'', September 23)?

Dallas Fraser Mudgeeraba (QLD)

If the Labor Party is going to change leaders, could they please choose Doug Cameron.

With all due respect to Rudd, I doubt he would stand up to the Sussex Street creatures who have destroyed NSW Labor and now seem intent on destroying federal Labor.

The party needs a leader who isn't a toady to Sussex Street, who isn't lost in circumlocutory and meaningless spin and who might have a social agenda other than appeasing the prejudices of voters in marginal seats.

Picking a feisty former leader of a union worked well in the past. It might just work again.

Peter Thompson Killara

It seems that the planned return of Kevin Rudd now has detailed programmatic specificity.

David Atkinson Beecroft

Lock MPs out

I see that our federal politicians are rising for a fortnight. Somebody down that way nip in and change the locks and retain the keys until there is some sort of guarantee that debate will rise above the self-serving, the puerile, the infantile and frankly ugly standard of late.

Rod Hughes Epping

It is a pity that so many are railing at the present time against rowdy question times in the House of Representatives and so-called ''negativity'' from the opposition as though it is all a new phenomenon.

In a solid democracy these things are normal and it would be most sad to see any movement towards quiet, compliant oppositions and parliamentary chambers where the interchange is never robust. That would make us like countries with no democracy and no effective opposition.

David Morrison Springwood

No sweet dreams

Both Gillard and Abbott have this week torn a hole in the nation's soul. Hope you are both sleeping soundly at night.

Vincent Alvaro Casula

How to win friends

I suggest Ms Gillard declare war on a Pacific nation (a la Mrs Thatcher) and the alpha males of Australia will adore her henceforth … voila - problem solved.

This methodology has as its first rule: whatever you do, do not interview the subject of the allegations. He might be stupid and say something that forces you to take action.

Geoff Mullen McMahons Point

Out of character

I am 2011 school captain of Asquith Boys High School, and my experience of Asquith Boys is very different to the one presented in your story yesterday.

In my six years at the school I have never known of any incident of racial prejudice or antagonism of the type described in your story.

Asquith Boys High has many boys from diverse ethnic backgrounds. In my year of 50 students there were Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Indian and Italian students.

On the very day this alleged incident occurred, the school enjoyed the year 12 graduation assembly. There was tremendous spirit and camaraderie between all students (regardless of their age or background) and their teachers - as there has been throughout all my time at the school. Your report came as a complete surprise to me and other students.

Mirabella inspires

Love is action, and Sophie's love for Colin Howard over many years should be an inspiration to us all.

Peter Lawrence Byron Bay

Reality is off-screen

Derek Allan asserts that it is important that ''Australian stories continue to be seen and heard on our screens'' (Letters, September 23). Why? Every day, we experience many Australian stories for real when we are out and about. We do, after all, live in Australia.

When most people watch television, they are not looking for some enriching cultural experience. They are looking for entertainment. If the most entertaining shows do not happen to be Australian it would be improper to force Australian viewers to watch inferior productions simply so we can save jobs.

Matt Kwan Sydney

Homework is in students' interest

Homework in primary school is not a cynical marketing ploy by teachers and principals as your editorial suggested (''Schools haven't done homework'', September 23). As if teachers would set homework so they could spend more time marking.

Carefully set homework is useful. Practising mathematical operations, rote learning times tables, reading books and memorising spelling lists are necessary for students' literacy and numeracy skills. Those students who do not practise these skills in primary school are the students most likely to have literacy and comprehension problems in later years at school.

It is clear that children need to study in high school. The breadth and depth of the work students are required to cover continues to grow. Developing good habits starts in primary school.

Children in primary school should not be overburdened with hours of homework. Surely 30 to 45 minutes, four nights a week, is a worthy investment in our children's futures.

Anthony van den Broek Erskineville

Truth always matters

Boudicca Cerese's assertion that the accidental untruths of those engaged in precautionary advocacy are less damaging than the untruths of commercial interests is incorrect (Letters, September 22). All untruths, accidental or deliberate, corrupt public debate and prevent people from making fully informed decisions.

Everyone who chooses to participate in public debate is equally obliged to ensure that the information they use to support their argument is true.

Kathryn Logan Silverwater

Kangaroo can hooroo the haka

Regarding the letters about an Australian reply to the haka, we could do worse than revive the Kangaroo War Cry, chanted before rugby league Tests against English and French teams from 1908 and 1967 before falling victim to the cultural cringe.

Based on a Stradbroke Island Aboriginal chant:

Wallee Mullalra Choomooroo Tingal

Nah! Nah! Nah! Nah!

Cannai, Barrang, Warrang, Warrang

Yallah, Yallah, Yallah, Yallah,

Ah! Jaleeba, Booga, Boorooloong

Yarnah meei, meei, meei

Meeyarra, Meeyarra, Jeeleeba, Cahwoon,

Cooeewah, Cooeewah, Wahh, Wooh.

The English translation is:

We are a race of fighters, descended from the War Gods, Beware! Beware! Beware! Beware! When we fight there will be great bloodshed, Go! Go! Go! Go! We are powerful but merciless. Are you friends? Good! Good! The Kangaroo is dangerous when at bay. Come on. Come on, Death.

John Pollock Mount Pritchard

A pre-match performance by the Wallabies should reflect our traditions. I'm envisioning a line of Wallabies, all clutching broken beer bottles, necks straining and eyes bulging, screaming ''Are you looking at me?''

Gary Howe Rushcutters Bay

I thought it was well understood that the only authentically Australian and effective response to the haka is ''I'm a little teapot, short and stout …'' sung with full - and disturbing - arm and swaying body movements.

Francesca Naish Randwick

Protecting Israel

Michael Fox (Letters, September 23), why should Israel, the US, Australia and all peace-loving nations of the world not oppose the unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state when Hamas, the elected government of Gaza which numerically constitutes a significant proportion of the proposed Palestinian state calls for the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews?

George Fishman Vaucluse

Design is the key

Scott Pfaff defends our right to continue the low-density sprawl of Sydney on the basis that an Australian Conservation Foundation report shows greenhouse gas emissions are higher in the inner city (Letters, September 22).

However, a later review of the studies on which the report was based highlighted that the number of studies and the sample sizes were not sufficiently large to be statistically representative. It is not as simple as saying high-density housing causes higher energy use without also considering the building design, construction materials and occupant behaviour of the buildings in the study sample.

For example, a large 1940s apartment in Darling Point with a single occupant will have an entirely different energy-use pattern to a new, well-designed apartment in Alexandria shared by a couple.

No need to ail

Robert Pallister need not feel so incensed by the Foster's takeover (Letters, September 23).

My husband and I never cease to be amazed at the ubiquity of Foster's in British pubs. It is everywhere. We wouldn't touch it at home and certainly will not be while in Britain. Let the Poms have it.

Janice Creenaune Stithians (UK)

There's nothing so lonesome, morbid or drear, than to stand in the bar of a pub with no Aussie beer.

James Armstrong Berowra

Musical feast

Eat your heart out, Mrs Carey. The Town Hall this week provided material for easily two more films. There, at the Primary Proms, one could witness and listen to the sound of top-quality music from all over Sydney, courtesy of our state primary schools. Hours and hours of dedicated work but no film crew to record this most amazing visual and aural event. Where were you, Bob Connolly? Why do only private schools get the attention?

Jenny McNaughton Forest Lodge

Herd mentality

Australian shares and the Aussie dollar are being dumped in a herd panic and the proceeds shifted to a safe haven (''Share wipeout on recession fear'', September 23). Fears that America is headed for a recession sparked the sell-off. The safe haven is the recession-bound USA. Why do those in the investment community describe themselves as economic rationalists?

A rare thing happened this week. Ross Gittins disappointed many of you. Margaret Booth, of Turramurra, reflected the general tone. ''I was surprised to read Ross Gittins's article endorsing high-density living as a greener option,'' she wrote. ''I have always found him so sensible.''

High-rise found little support among Herald letter writers and not even the esteemed Gittins, arguing the case on green grounds, could convince otherwise.

There were exceptions: Frank Alley, of Ashtonfield, painted a marvellous (but lengthy) picture of apartment living in Shanghai.

''In one four-bedroom apartment on the 34th floor we had staggering views over the city, with a bus stop at the door, and a five-minute walk to the subway station and large shopping centre.''

And then - the clincher: ''One travel card could be used on buses, subway, ferries and taxis.''

The immigration debate slouched on, and letters dripping with disillusion in the Labor Party and the Prime Minister rolled in. Though our writers mostly stay on the higher plane, a couple have used the offensive language seen on some of the signage at anti-government rallies in Canberra.

The New Zealand haka - and suggested countermeasures for other nations - muscled its way onto the pages. But not for the first time. James Cook, of Kalaru, brought to my attention a twist on the theme involving the Japanese from a letters page past.

So here is a hits-and-memories moment from Peter Kelly and Steve Elliott in Balmain. In November 2003, they wrote: ''Following a confrontational All Black haka, the Japanese responded with an equally challenging haiku.''